Feeling Thrifty, The Thirsty Reach For Tap Water

UNDATED (AP) - Bottled water has long been seen as chic, but ina tight economy some consumers are starting to see it as a wasteful"rip-off." Marketing and beverage analysts note that people are no longerso happy to spend a dollar or more for a 20-ounce bottle of water,when tap water is free, or nearly free. Trade figures show U.S. consumers spent 16.8 billion dollars onbottled water last year. That's an increase in growth, but it'sreported as the slowest growth rate since the early 1990s. The economic factor may be doing what environmentalists havebeen trying to do for years: wean people off the bottles of watertouted as stylish and healthier than tap water. Many cities have enacted pro-tap campaigns. Chicago has starteda 5-cent tax on plastic water bottles. While it's tough to track rates of tap-water use, sales offaucet accessories -- such as those that purify water -- areapparently booming.

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